NGD: 1975 S-100

[garyfanclub]

Been a minute since I've posted here, but I'm always on the lookout for a Guild deal!

Had a friend send me the GC Used listing for this and couldn't stop thinking about it; inevitably the Guild obsession gave way and I pulled the trigger. Photos on the listing were not great so I had to temper my expectations. That said, I was pleasantly surprised - this thing absolutely rips!

Overall condition is good - certainly not abused. Some honest wear but nothing unusual for a guitar of this age (arm wear, some buckle rash). Neck is straight as an arrow, tuners are smooth, all controls are clean and working as intended. Pots look to be all original, and it's possible I'm the first person to ever open the cavity - looks absolutely pristine in there. Even has the cheesy cardboard 70s case (which I actually dig - no ancient candy in there though)

It's not terribly heavy either - I'd say around 7.5-8.0 lbs. Resonant as all get out - the thing just rings and rings. One of those guitars you know is going to sound good plugged in just by its acoustic properties.

The pickguard is actually a clear one that a previous owner painted the back of - you can pretty clearly see the Guild logo showing through in the photos below. Unfortunately this has stained the guitar under the pickguard. I considered taking this paint off, but I'm really not sure how I'd do this without completely screwing up the plastic. At this point it'll probably stay as is - it's been this way for a long time and it's part of the guitar's overall vibe. Doesn't look at all out of place IMO.

The thing SOUNDS friggin' amazing! Warm and bell-like in the neck with great separation - garagey and woody in the bridge without being too hot in the bridge. I play a lot of fingerstyle electric and this appears to be the perfect match. Doesn't need any help to sound its best - plug it straight in to the amp and go.

Two questions for the experts here...

• The neck binding looks VERY white compared to my M75 - there's barely any yellowing, almost pristine white. Thoughts on this binding having been touched up or does it look original to you guys?
• Frets are significantly larger than on my '70 M75, these are definitely more like what you'd find on a Gibson LP of similar vintage. Wide and flat. I've read Guild transitioned to these in the mid 70s, given this is a 75, maybe it's transitional? Note it has the tailpiece farther back than some later 75 and 76 models I've seen. Looks like they're original?

OK now for the pics!

Family pic with the 1970 M75 (hollow version with Muller bridge)

 

[chazmo]

Sweet Nature Boy! Best of luck with it! Bindings do look very white, but I'm not sure I see any evidence that they're not original. Get yourself a good case for that beauty! That chipboard is not gonna cut it if you gig that thing.

 

[Groundwire]

What an awesome S-100. FWIW, the binding on my 1970 S-100 shows hardly any yellowing. Much whiter than my 80’s Gibson for example. Not sure if it was just the particular binding material, or what.

 

[garyfanclub]

What an awesome S-100. FWIW, the binding on my 1970 S-100 shows hardly any yellowing. Much whiter than my 80’s Gibson for example. Not sure if it was just the particular binding material, or what.

Interesting!

This looks very similar to the binding on my M75 - mostly white with some yellowish streaking - perhaps it's lacquer that got on the binding and yellowed over time? Interesting how clean the binding is on mine.

Looks like your S-100 was refretted?

Also very interesting that the fret markers are on the treble side of the neck on yours? Looks like an extremely early example given the Hagstrom trem and no phase switch.

 

[GGJaguar]

Beautiful S-100, congrats! It looks like there is some fretboard tear-out around the 1st and 2nd frets so it makes me wonder about it being refretted and re-bound (maybe with PVC binding since it is stark white).

 

[GAD]

Beautiful!

 

[garyfanclub]

Beautiful S-100, congrats! It looks like there is some fretboard tear-out around the 1st and 2nd frets so it makes me wonder about it being refretted and re-bound (maybe with PVC binding since it is stark white).

Good eye!

Also appears to be some overhang on the binding at the neck joint, which doesn't look like something that'd be stock. That said, the work looks to be pretty good and these frets feel excellent. No complaints here!

 

[geoguy]

Didn't Guild usually install frets so that they extended over the top of the binding?

Binding nibs (I think that's the right word) at the fret ends suggest to me that this guitar was re-fretted & re-bound.

Great looking guitar, thanks for sharing the photos.

 

[walrus]

I'm comparing the photos of Groundwire's fretboard. It looks like yours has the Gibson-like "nibs" in it, plastic binding that goes right up and "into" the frets.

Edit - I see geoguy and I are on the same page!

walrus

 

[7GuildsandanSG]

Gorgeous! I'm jelly!

 

[Norrissey]

Looks really nice!! I'm a little jealous too! It's awesome to find a vintage guitar that hopefully won't burn a hole in your pocket. Congrats!

 

[jp]

Beautiful! Congratulations and thanks for sharing.

 

[Groundwire]

Yes. I had this one refretted with 6105 frets and it plays amazingly now. When I got it, it still had original frets, that were worn down to the point of unusability.
Mine is a lefty and actually has side dots on both sides of the neck.
Yes, I think the yellow streaking is actually laquer that lapped you into the binding and yellowed over time.
This is indeed a very early example. I wish mine had a phase switch, but when you’re a lefty, you gotta take what you can get.
What’s the neck profile like in yours? I hear the mid 70’s had quite slender necks. Mine has a nice full C like my 335.

 

[Groundwire]

I'm comparing the photos of Groundwire's fretboard. It looks like yours has the Gibson-like "nibs" in it, plastic binding that goes right up and "into" the frets.

Edit - I see geoguy and I are on the same page!

walrus

When I got my S-100, it had binding nibs as well. Not quite the same as on a Gibson though. They were not quite aligned with the frets themselves, because the binding had shrunk, which is typical. You’ll notice a gap between the nut and where the binding ends:

This picture is from after the refret, so there are no visible nibs anymore.

 

[Groundwire]

Good eye!

Also appears to be some overhang on the binding at the neck joint, which doesn't look like something that'd be stock. That said, the work looks to be pretty good and these frets feel excellent. No complaints here!

The binding does appear to be thicker than usual for Guilds I have seen (which isn’t a ton TBF).

 

[walrus]

When I got my S-100, it had binding nibs as well. Not quite the same as on a Gibson though. They were not quite aligned with the frets themselves, because the binding had shrunk, which is typical. You’ll notice a gap between the nut and where the binding ends:

This picture is from after the refret, so there are no visible nibs anymore.

That's interesting! I had a 2010 Gibson ES-339 that I wanted to love because the smaller body was so comfortable. But the nibs drove me crazy! I mistakenly thought that was something "new" at the time .

walrus

 

[Groundwire]

That's interesting! I had a 2010 Gibson ES-339 that I wanted to love because the smaller body was so comfortable. But the nibs drove me crazy! I mistakenly thought that was something "new" at the time .

walrus

Gibson has always put the binding over the frets, as far as I know. My tech tells me about how folks bring in vintage Gibsons in for refrets and want to keep the nibs intact. He has some way of pulling the frets without removing the nibs so it keeps them looking authentic. Sounds time consuming…

 

[garyfanclub]

What’s the neck profile like in yours? I hear the mid 70’s had quite slender necks. Mine has a nice full C like my 335.

Definitely very skinny - almost a D shape given how flat the fretboard is. Not *that* different from my M75 though, but that guitar is more in the ballpark of a slim C. I don't have a great way to measure depth, but both are 1 11/16 at the nut; with the M75 being maybe just a smidge under that.

Just to be thorough, I measured my '71 D25M and '72 F-20 and they're also both 1 11/16 at the nut, with the F-20 feeling very much like the S-100 neck (but not quite as skinny) and the D-25M being much fuller, more of a C shape.

Thanks for all the input here guys, really loving this guitar! It'll be getting a fresh set of 11's this afternoon, and probably a slight bump up in the action, and then I suspect it'll be in heavy rotation from there out!

 

[walrus]

My recently sold '58 Gibson ES-225 didn't have any nibs!

walrus

 

[mushroom]

Awesome S100 but to be honest I’m liking the black M75 in the first post a little bit more.